Knitted cap



sept. 1,1942. m, WENGEN. f 2,294,529

KNITTEDCAP Filed' Feb. 19. 1941 INVENTOR.

ATToRNEY.

Patented Sept. 1, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.

KNITTED CAP Application February 19, 1941, Serial No. 379,551

7 Claims.

The present invention relates in general to'improvements in headwear,and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction ofknitted caps of the type having ear protectors associated therewith.

An object of the invention is to provide a snug fitting knitted capstructure which is simple in construction and highly effective in use.

In my prior Patent No, 2,199,473, granted May '7, 1940, I have shown anddescribed an improved tubular knitted cap assemblage of the type havingear protecting opposite side extensions adapted to be positivelyfastened or connected beneath the wearers chin, the entire lower edge ofthe cap and extensions being provided with an elastic edging or tape forcausing the edge portions of the assemblage to tightly hug the wearershead regardless of variations in the size or shape of the heads. Whilethis patented cap assembly is extremely effective and satisfactory asapplied to a chin embracing type of cap, utilizing buttons or otherattaching means for holding the chin straps or extensions against thedome of the cap when elevated, and interconnected beneath the chin whenlowered and in active position, there is a big demand for caps of thistype having the chin straps omitted. However, the omission of the chinembracing extensions from the prior caps, introduces serious diiculty inmaintaining the ear laps or protectors in snug engagement with thewearers neck and sides of the head, when lowered, and especially so ifthe ear lap portions of the cap are lined with pads for e'nhancing theirwarmth. I have discovered, that by utilizing an elastic lower edging ofthe type shown in my prior patent, and by providing a visor extensionedged by the same elastic tape and properly formed and located withrespect to the ear lap portion of the cap, this latter portion can becaused to properly hug the wearers head either when lowered or elevated,without in fact using the chin straps or extensions and the attachingbuttons.

It is therefore a more specilic object of my present invention toprovide an improved knitted cap assemblage of the general type shown inmy prior patent, but devoid of chin extensions and fastenings therefor,and wherein the elastic edging at the lower portion of the cap willcause this edge to hug the wearers head whether elevated or lowered.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide animproved knitted cap having integral visor and ear lap portions, thelatter of which is adapted to be raised or lowered,

and wherein both portions are edged with elastic tape in such mannerthat undesirable looseness of the cap is constantly eliminated.

A further specific object of this invention is to provide a simpliedknitted cap structure having ear covering portions provided with paddingof a warm and decorative nature, and wherein the ear protecting portionsand pads are held in snug engagement with the head of the wearer withoutthe use of special retaining means such as chin straps Still anotherspecific object of the invention is to provide a highly attractive andeffective knitted cap which can be readily manufactured and sold atmoderate cost, and which is especially protective in cold weather.

An additional specific object of my invention is to provide an improvedknitted cap assemblage having warm and attractive 'ear pads permanentlyassociated therewith, and readily reversible in position with respect tothe wearers head.

These and other specic objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of one embodiment of the present improvement, and ofthe mode of constructing and of wearing or utilizing knitted caps madein accordance with the invention, may be had by referring to the drawingaccompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein likereference characters designate the same or similar parts in the severalviews.

Fig. 1 is a front and side perspective View of one of the improvedknitted caps applied to a wearers head and with the ear laps elevated;

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the improved cap, with the ear laps andprotective pads lowered and snugly engaging the wearer; and

Fig. 3 is a side view of the cap removed from the head of the wearer,and in attened condition.

While the invention has been shown and described as being applied to aknitted cap oi` a particular type which may be formed from tubularknitted stock and having a pompon applied to the dome thereof, it is notthe desire or intent to thereby unnecessarily restrict the scope orutility of the improvement.

Referring to the drawing, the present improved cap assemblage comprisesin general, a tubular knitted body 6 having its upper 0r dome portion 1gathered and closed to snugly fit the top of the head 8 of a wearer;opposite side ear laps 9 and a neck engaging portion I0 formed integralwith the lower side and rear portions of the body 6,

and adapted to hug the wearers ears and neck, respectively; a visorextension II formed integral with the front lower edge of the body 6 andbeing permanently attached to the front part of the dome portion 1; anda continuous elastic edging tape I2 extending entirely around the edgesof the ear laps 9, neck portion lil and visor extension II, andproviding a resilient protective covering for these edges.

If the caps are formed from a continuous knitted tube, the successivebodies 6 may be formed of several sections of the knitted tube, whichmay be subsequently out and sewed to proper shape; and in such cases thewales will ordinarily extend from the top to the bottom of the caps. Thebodies 6, may however be produced from flat knitted stock with the walesextending around the caps, -or even diagonally thereof, and the top ofthe dome portion may be provided with a decorative pompon I3. Theinterior of each of the ear laps 9 may also be provided with a protective and decorative ear pad I4, permanently attached thereto, andlocated close to the edging tape I2 thereof. While the integrally formedear laps S and neck portion I@ may be either raised to the positionshown in Fig. 1, or lowered as in Fig.v 2, to cause the Dads I 4 toassume reversed positions, the visor extension I I is preferablypermanently secured to the front of the body 6.

The specific formation of the visor extension I I and the cooperation ofthe elastic tape I 2 with the edges of this extension I I and withv theswinging edges of the ear laps 9 and neck portion I0, is relativelyimportant. The opposite sides of the visor extension il, terminate atthe foremost upper end portions of the ear laps 9, and the continuousedging tape I 2 passes through the valleys or V-notches formed betweenthe visor extension II and the adjacent ear laps 9; and this edging tapeI2 when properly applied, should be under sufficient tension to causethe ear laps 9 and neck portion I9 to be constantly biased inwardlyregardless of whether these parts are raised or lowered. During swingingof the ear protectors or laps S from elevated to lowered position, orvice Versa; the elastic tape should have a pivotal or hinge action atthe opposite extreme ends of the visor portion I i as clearly shown inFig. 3.

During normal use of the improved cap assemblage, the body 6 and domeportion 'I will ordinarily'be stretched into snug engagement with thehead 8 of a wearer, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the visor portion IIwill constantly overlie the forehead of the wearer to provide doubleprotection at that Zone, since this visor portion II is permanentlyattached to the cap body 6. The ear and neck protecting portions 9, Imay however be positioned either elevated as shown in Fig. 1, so thatthe pads I4 are visible; or lowered as illustrated in Fig. 2, in snugengagement with the ears and rear neck portion of the wearer. By virtueof the fact that the semi-circular visor portion I I which is edged bythe elastic tape I2, is xedly secured to the upper central portion ofthe body S, and that the portions of the tape I2 which extend along theedges of the ear and neck portions 9, I are always under tension thusbiasing these portions inwardly, the entire lower edge of the cap willat all times be drawn into snug engagement either with the body 6 whenelevated, or with the wearers head and neck when lowered. The ear muifsor pads I 4 will merely serve as ornaments or decoration when exposed asin Fig'. 1, but when reversed and lowered as in Fig. 2, these pads I4will be pressed snugly against the wearers ears by the elastic tape I2extending around the peripheries of the pads. The special constructionand application of the tape I2 to the cap, thus constantly eliminatesundesirable looseness and provides for proper snug coaction of the earlaps with the wearers head, without the use of chin straps and.additional fasteners.

From the foregoing detailed description, it will be apparent that mypresent invention provides an improved knitted helmet cap structurewhich is simple and durable in construction and highly effective in use,and wherein snug coaction of the ear engaging portions is assuredwithout utilizing chin straps or the like. The formation of the visorportion II and of the elastic tape I2 and the cooperation thereof withthe ear laps 9 and pads I4, are important in securing best results andin avoiding excessive looseness, and the pads I4 may still be made ofconsiderable size and thickness without destroying the utility thereof.The visor portion II of the improved helmet cap is preferablypermanently attached to the body 6 only at the uppermost central part ofthe visor, so as to permit the visor edging tape I2 to exert a constantpull upon the ear laps 9 and thus draw the ear protectors inwardly atall times. The direction of extent of the wales in the improved cap isrelatively unimportant, but the snug fit is somewhat enhanced by causingthese wales to extend transversely across the visor, ear lap, and neckportions as shown in the drawing. The improved knitted caps can bemanufactured and sold at moderate cost, and have proven highlysatisfactory and successful in actual use.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this inventionto the exact details of construction or to the precise mode of use,herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scopeof the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A cap comprising, a body having an integral visor permanentlyattached to and overlying the front thereof and also having integral earlaps swingably associated with its opposite sides adjacent to the endsof said visor, and a continuous elastic tape extending along the edgesof said visor and ear laps,.said tape being under resilient tensionsufcient to constantly bias said edges inwardly.

2. A cap comprising, a knitted body having an integral knitted visoroverlying and permanently secured to the front thereof and also havingintegral knitted and rearwardly united ear laps foldably associated withits lower edge closely adjacent to the opposite lower ends of saidvisor, anda continuous elastic edging tape extending along the entireedges of said visor and ear laps, said tape being under resilienttension suiiicient to constantly bias said ear laps inwardly and thelatter being disposable above and below said lower body edge.

3. A helmet cap comprising, a body having an integral approximatelysemi-circular visor overlying and permanently attached to the frontmid-portion thereof and also having integral ear laps swingablyconnected to its lower edge adjacent to the opposite ends of said visor,and a continuous elastic tape covering and extending along the entireedges of said visor and ear laps, said tape being under tensionsufficient to constantly bias said visor and ear laps inwardly.

4. A helmet cap comprising, a body having an integral approximatelysemi-circular visor overlying and permanently attached to the frontmidportion thereof and also having integral ear laps swingably connectedto its lower edge adjacent to the opposite ends of said visor, an earpad secured to each of said ear laps close to the free edge thereof, anda continuous elastic tape extending along the entire edge of said visorand along a considerable portion of the periphery of each pad, said tapebeing tensioned to constantly bias said visor and pads inwardly.

5. A helmet cap comprising, a knitted body having integral knitted earlaps and an integral knitted neck engaging portion interconnecting saidear laps, said ear laps and said neck portion being foldably associatedwith the side and rear portions of said body, and a continuous elastictape extending across the front of said body and along the entire freeedges of said ear laps and neck portion, said tape being under tensionsufficient to constantly bias said ear laps and neck portion inwardly.

6. A helmet cap comprising, a knitted body having integral knitted earlaps and an integral knitted neck engaging portion interconnecting saidear laps, said ear laps and said neck portion being foldably associatedWith the side and rear portions of said body, an ear pad attached toeach of said ear laps close to the free edge thereof, and a continuouselastic tape extending across the front of said body and along theentire free edge of said ear laps and a considerable portion of theperiphery of each of said pads, said tape being under tension sufficientto constantly bias said pads and neck portion inwardly.

7. A helmet cap comprising, a body having integral ear laps foldablyassociated with the opposite sidesA thereof, and a continuous elastictape completely surrounding the cap and extending along the extremeedges of said ear laps and rear neck portion and considerably above thelower edge of the front of said cap, said tape being under suicienttension to alone constantly bias said ear laps inwardly into snugengagement With the vvearers head.

FRANK J. WENGEN.

